


moving ahead

by baexil



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band), Mamamoo
Genre: Domesticity, F/F, Fluff, Found Family, Getting Together, Handholding, Happy Ending, Late Night Conversations, Magic, Moving, Slice of Life, and then there is a cat, and then they were neighbors, clothes borrowing, couple A taking care of B, playing with hair, waking up together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21939970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baexil/pseuds/baexil
Summary: Yoohyeon moves into a new place and there's this couple next door who seem really invested in helping her not be sad.
Relationships: Kim Yongsun | Solar/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul, Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Yoobin | Dami
Comments: 8
Kudos: 126
Collections: kbas secret santa 2019





	moving ahead

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Silverdancer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverdancer/gifts).



> i just want to flag some magic that happens, it could be construed as dubcon use of magic, but i used https://www.instagram.com/p/B6cVQmpnU_P/?igshid=1sxlodvgou1r0 as a reference for the love magic used in the fic. it's really a small part but i wanted to flag, just in case. 
> 
> also there are reasons why i chose the names i did between real/stage names. other than that, enjoy!!

Solar was looking forward to someone moving in next door. Her magic tends to get jittery when it spends a lot of time not around other people, sensing the emptiness of that spark of energy that humans naturally carry around with them. Since they live in the corner apartment, their only neighbor has been empty for a few months.

It was nice to feel the warm presence from next door again after so long of having a void. She made a mental note to introduce herself when her new neighbor got settled in a bit more and went on with her life. 

The energy was consistent but a low buzz against her magical awareness. She was enjoying the mere presence of someone brushing against her awareness that she didn’t notice something was off until Moonbyul brought it up. 

They are lounging on the couch, Solar splayed over Moonbyul’s chest with her arms wrapped around her waist, cheek comfortably resting on Moonbyul’s shoulder as they listen to some music. It is Moonbyul’s turn to pick the playlist and the hip hop bass is thrumming through her, her eyes drooping as she leeches off of Moonbyul’s warmth. 

“Have you heard anything from our new neighbor?” Moonbyul asks, her hands threading through Solar’s hair. Solar can barely muster a coherent response when Moonbyul starts lightly scratching at her scalp. 

“Mmmrrtph.” She says, far too relaxed to enunciate. Even Moonbyul as her ultimate life partner is not able to interpret her sleepy language. 

“No?” She guesses with an amused chuckle. 

“No,” Solar confirms, shifting slightly so she can subtle nudge Moonbyul’s fingers towards the base of her neck, “Why?” 

Moonbyul’s fingers pause and she looks up with a pout, ready to complain when she sees the slight surprise on her partner’s face. 

“What?” she asks, confused. 

“Can you not feel it?” Moonbyul asks in response. 

She’s not exactly sure what she is supposed to feel for, but she reaches out to brush against her neighbor’s aura and- 

“Oh,” Solar exclaims softly, pushing herself up from Moonbyul a bit, “Oh, that’s a sad person.” 

Moonbyul rolls her eyes but a fond smile plays at her lips. 

“You can be so oblivious sometimes,” she says dryly. 

“It’s almost like I’ve got other things on my mind,” Solar protests, “What with the Winter Solstice coming up.” 

“It’s still a month away,” Moonbyul counters. 

“There’s a lot to be done!” Solar says, pouting. Moonbyul pokes a puffed out cheek and leans over to plant a firm kiss on her lips. Even after all these years, Solar’s heart kicks up a fuss at the contact. 

“We should go say hi,” Moonbyul suggests after effectively distracting her. 

And she’s right, she almost always is, but Solar can’t help but to feel her shyness bubble up. 

“Do we have to?” Solar complains, knowing the answer already. Moonbyul doesn’t even bother to speak up, gently displacing her so she can stand instead. She walks into the kitchen portion of their flat and the first thing she does is turn on the oven. 

Moonbyul pulls out the ingredients they need while Solar takes a moment to kick her feet admittedly childishly before joining her. It’s not that she doesn’t want to go over, it just means that she’s going to have to take her natural shyness and stuff it far away to be her bright and bubbly persona and she wasn’t expecting to expend that energy today. 

There is already flour in the bowl so Solar takes a pinch of basil that she ground a few days ago. She holds it in her hands, closing her eyes and concentrating. Her magic sings when she taps into it, giving just a touch to what is in her hand. After she does so, she flips her hand over, palm up, extending her fingers and carefully blows the basil into the half made cookie mixture. 

“Basil, huh?” Moonbyul says as she adds the baking soda. 

“For happiness,” Solar explains easily as she open the fridge and rummages around. She pulls out the lemon juice and turns with a triumphant look on her face. 

“What’s that for?” She asks. 

Solar grins. 

“For taste, of course.” She says confidently. 

A pinch of flour is thrown her way for the answer. Solar takes a moment to pull an overly astonished face her way, her black shirt now covered in flour. Moonbyul collapses into a fit of giggles and Solar pushes her away to reach for the flour herself. 

\-----

Yoohyeon sits on a pillow on the floor staring at her scarily empty apartment. The emptiness makes her chest ache with a tangle of emotions that she can’t place. She assumes this is what homesickness feels like but she wouldn’t know. 

Living with her parents for over 20 years was wonderful, but when she graduated and got a job, she decided it was time to move out. That was the adult thing to do. 

Now, in her flat, with nothing but the noise of silence rattling around the wall, she wasn’t for sure what she had been imagining when she decided to move out. Loneliness was definitely not factored into the equation. Neither was the fact that she hasn’t spent a significant amount of time alone. That had been on her pro list for why she should move out. To get some space and not have to be mindful of her parents overhearing or working around her brother’s shower schedule. 

But after a few weeks on her own, she’s not sure if it’s what she wants. Unable to stand the lack of noise, she decides to call her mom. 

“How’s the new place?” Her mom asks. 

“Quiet.” She responses, a half-truth. She doesn’t want her mom to worry after all. Yoohyeon was an adult, this is a step in learning how to be on her own. 

It’s also funny how when she moves out, she suddenly has so much to talk to her mom about. After about twenty minutes, her mother politely says she has to end the call. She says goodbye cheerfully and buries her head in her hands when she hands up. 

She’s not sure what she’s doing anymore. What was she trying to accomplish again? 

Her mental crisis is interrupted by the doorbell ringing. 

Snapping her head up, Yoohyeon is positive she misheard the noise, eyes wide at the closed door. But then it rings again. 

Heart pounding, she peeks through the peephole, not sure what to expect but is surprised by two women who seem to be playfully pushing each other. The taller one is really enjoying knocking the other woman off balance, her hands filled with a plate of cookies. 

Not sure what to think, but curious, Yoohyeon opens the door slowly and peers around to blink widely at them. 

“Can I help you?” She asks tentatively. 

“You can help us finish these cookies!” The taller woman says with a grin. Yoohyeon is thrown off by how cute she looks, her nose crunches up and her eyes wink. 

The other woman hip checks her and smiles at Yoohyeon, “What Moonbyul is trying to say is that we are your next-door neighbors and wanted to bring in a little house warming treat.” 

“That’s so kind of you,” Yoohyeon is touched, truthfully. Their dynamic has Yoohyeon opening her door further, before she can really think about it, “Please come in.” 

Then she freezes. She’s embarrassed by her bare apartment. It has the essentials, but it’s not homey by any means and not in any shape to be seen by strangers. 

The two women seem to sense her hesitation, taking a glance at each other. She’s not really sure how they manage to turn and look at each other at the exact same time, but they do. 

“You know,” the taller one starts, Moonbyul she thinks the other called her, “When Solar and I first moved into our apartment, it was a mess for months after. With three weeks, I’m sure that you are feeling the same.” 

“And that’s okay,” the shorter woman smiles, “We don’t mind much of a mess.” 

“You say that because you are the messy one,” teases Moonbyul, “I’m the one always picking up after you.” 

There is a shriek of protest that somehow comes out cute and girlish despite being so loud. 

Despite her better judgement, she opens to the door to let them. 

“If you’ll excuse the mess,” she says as they step into the entrance, toeing their slippers off. 

“Thanks for letting us intrude.” Moonbyul says in a pleasant, husky tone and a smooth smile that distracts Yoohyeon enough that Solar is able to hurry on ahead of them. She lets out another screech when she gets into the living room. Yoohyeon’s heart kicks up a notch, worried for a beat before- 

“It’s so cute!” She squeals before launching herself at the pile of pillows Yoohyeon has arranged around a table that sits low to the ground. The pillows were bought because she couldn’t afford a couch at the moment or a proper dining room table, but when Moonbyul joins Solar on the pillows, setting the plate of cookies down before shoving Solar into the pillows who seems to giggle happily at it. Yoohyeon isn’t sure she hasn’t seen such an example of a Tom and Jerry couple before. The two seem to embody the spirit perfectly. 

Moonbyul lets Solar sit up, the shorter woman only does so she can lean forward onto Moonbyul’s back and watch as she picks up a cookie and bites into it. A warmth touches Yoohyeon’s chest. Seeing someone feeling so at-home her in apartment eases some sort of tension that she has been carrying around. 

“You can’t eat before the host!” Solar cries out in shock, slapping at her wrist. Moonbyul’s eyes go wide and they both turn to Yoohyeon, looking guilty. 

Yoohyeon bites down a chuckle, offering, “I’ll make some tea.” 

Solar bounces up before the word _make_ is out of her mouth, “Oh, let me help.” 

“Oh, there’s no need,” Yoohyeon reassures as it doesn’t stop Solar from joining her in the kitchen. The familiar dance of formality and courteousness feels good having experienced it so many times but never in her own home. 

“Solar?” Yoohyeon tries as she puts on the electric kettle and her guest spoons tea leaves into the pot, tongue tripping over the awkward final syllable. The woman turns to beam brightly at her. 

“Wow, great job! You said it much better than people usually do,” she compliments. 

“I speak a bit of english,” Yoohyeon confesses, ducking her head to hide her blush. 

“Would you look at that, cute and talented! What a combo!” Solar says happily, “We scored the jackpot in the neighbor lottery.” 

Yoohyeon blushes, looking back at the kettle and wondering if it’s just her or is it taking a lot longer than it usually does. 

“And you are?” Solar asks, turning to her with two tea cups in each hand. It takes Yoohyeon a moment to realize that she’s asking for her name. 

“Oh! Yoohyeon, sorry. Kim Yoohyeon.” She says hurriedly, feeling embarrassed that she invited her neighbors into her home and didn’t even introduce herself. But it doesn’t seem to make Solar pause at all, turning on her heel and going to drop the tea cups off with Moonbyul. 

“You better not eat all the cookies I made specially for Yoohyeon.” She exclaims, kicking a bit at the other woman before she sets down the tea cups. 

“I’m guarding them,” Moonbyul says defensively. 

“The only threat to them is you,” Solar snipes back. 

A genuine smile touches Yoohyeon’s lips as the kettle bubbles enough to turn itself off. For the first time since she’s moved in, she feels like this could be home. Maybe. 

\----

“Oh my god,” Yoohyeon says, mouth full of cookie and eyes large, “These are so good.” 

“All my work,” Solar boasts. 

“You ate more dough than made,” Moonbyul comments. She has a way of teasing Solar in this low voice with sharp words but none of it reaches her face, a smile and shining eyes never faltering, getting even more soft the more Solar protests anything she says. There’s so much love and ease between them that it makes Moonbyul again grateful for her. 

Solar is pinching her before she can even think twice. It hurts but it doesn’t stop Moonbyul from melting at how much she loves this woman. 

Yoohyeon is not even finished chewing her first cookie when she reaches for her second. She can feel Solar’s hand brush her upper thigh and she turns to see Solar’s face soften, obviously pleased that Yoohyeon is enjoying her homemade spell. She did always say that her spells work better with food and she’s practically killed herself to get over her naturally terrible cooking talent to get to a point where her cookies don’t taste like cardboard. 

Her hard work has paid off, she thinks as she goes to grab another cookie herself. 

“Tell us why a cute girl like you moved into our little building,” Moonbyul asks, genuinely curious, “New to Seoul?” 

“Nope,” Yoohyeon says, popping a piece of cookie into her mouth, “My parents are in the city, I just thought it was time to move out. I’m certainly not waiting to get married before leaving my parents house.” 

“Good for you!” Solar cheers, “Down with the patriarchy!” 

“That’s brave of you,” Moonbyul notes with a bit more calm. The hand on her thigh tightens a bit and she covers it with her own, silently reassuring her. Solar’s nerves have a habit of flaring at the most inopportune times but Moonbyul is here to give her confidence. 

“Yeah,” Yoohyeon says, her eyes fluttering slightly. 

“How’s it been going so far?” Solar asks carefully. Moonbyul holds her breath. They’ve finally gotten to the crux of why they are here. 

“It’s been fine!” Yoohyeon says, pushing fake cheer into her tone. It’s so obvious to Moonbyul that she struggles not to wince, “No, not fine, it’s been good!” 

“Ah,” Solar says and there’s a moment, like she’s struggling to know what to say next. Moonbyul takes the moment to try. 

“It can be hard to live on your own, especially in Seoul,” she starts gently, “Solar and I know from experience.” 

“It’s really going well,” Yoohyeon insists, but shes look down at her hands, not at them. 

“Okay,” Solar finds her voice as she agrees. This is not the time to push, “We will always be next door if you need anything.” 

Yoohyeon looks up sharply at that, surprise clearly written across her features. 

“Really?” She asks, sounding slightly dumbfounded. 

“Of course,” Moonbyul answers easily, a smile forming naturally on her lips. They may have just met today, but Yoohyeon has proven to be nothing but sweet and kind. The aura she’s carrying around her is clear and almost a bit like sparkles, Moonbyul feels warm next to it, it gives her the courage to pull together her greasiest line, “And I’m protective of beautiful girls like you, just ask Solar.” 

Solar’s groan is music to her ears, especially when paired with Yoohyeon’s delicate flush. 

\----

They say their farewells and slip their sandals back on, saying a few more times to just come over and knock if she needed anything and a long goodbye later, Moonbyul closes their apartment door behind them. 

There’s a quiet between them as they digest the past few hours. Yoohyeon, how wonderful she seems, the sad energy that’s been leaking from her apartment for the past few weeks, her insistence that everything is okay. That she’s fine. 

Solar plops down on the couch, eyes fixed but her thoughts clearly whirling. Moonbyul joins her, pressing into her side. Yoohyeon’s sadness seems to linger here. 

“We gotta go back,” she says, finding Moonbyul’s hand and lacing their fingers. She makes sure to lace them properly and feed Solar some positive energy, hoping to bump her mood as she hums an agreement. 

“But next time, with alcohol,” Solar says, surprising Moonbyul into a laugh. 

“With alcohol,” she agrees. Solar turns to her, eyes glittering. Moonbyul feels the love rush through her and she’d have to be mad to not swoop in for a kiss. So she does. 

\-----

All good humor and amazing cookies to be had, Yoohyeon wasn’t actually expecting her neighbors to actually have an invested interest in staying in her life. But they do. Truthfully, Yoohyeon is thrilled with it. Before she knows it, she starts to look forward to coming home. It has some to do with knowing that she’s not coming home to an empty flat, but has a lot more to do with the amazing women she is getting to know. 

Today, she is a bit more excited to leave work than usual. The two women had invited her over to their flat for dinner. It wasn’t unusual for them to have dinner together but this would be the first time Yoohyeon gets a peek into the couple’s home. Yoohyeon is really looking forward to it. 

The commute is packed and metro is shoulder-to-shoulder filled with business people but very little could dampen Yoohyeon’s mood as she finally escapes the metro station and walks quickly towards her apartment building. On the elevator up, she has to talk herself out of going straight there and makes herself stop by her own home to change into something more comfortable. She bought a special bottle of wine for this very occasion and she grabs it before going to knock on their door. 

Moonbyul opens the door with a smile and then opens the door for her. Yoohyeon steps in and slips off her shoes and giggles when Moonbyul pulls out a greasy bow, like some anime boy. 

“My lady,” she says with a wink, “Welcome to our humble abode.” 

Humble is not the word Yoohyeon would use to describe it. Homey seems much more fitting. With a worn-in couch and pictures of them both littering over all the rooms, a spicy scent rolls in from the kitchen and Yoohyeon takes it all in and closes her eyes. 

“Feels like home,” she mutters before flushing, embarrassed she said that out loud. But Moonbyul seems to be thrilled and gently guides her further into the flat. Yoohyeon doesn’t even have a moment to feel embarrassed about her sorry sight of an apartment before Solar is bringing in a pot of something that smells delicious. 

“I hope you are in the mood for stew!” Solar says brightly, resting the pot on the table. She doesn’t wait for a reply before turning on her heel and striding back the kitchen. 

“Ignore her, she’s in host mode, cooking takes up her last few brain cells,” Moonbyul explains with a roll of her eyes. Yoohyeon gives a small smile and then presents the bottle of wine she’s been clutching in her hands the whole time. She feels a bit embarrassed, but giving the host wine when they cook you dinner is the adult thing to do, right? 

Moonbyul accepts the wine without any hesitation and Yoohyeon lets herself believe that she did the right thing. 

“Hm, red, our favorite,” Moonbyul reaffirms with a soft smile, “You hold onto that, I’ll get the wine glasses.” 

Dinner is amazing. Heartfelt and tasty and so much more than anything Yoohyeon could’ve hoped for. 

“I should’ve known how good this was going to be when you made something as simple as cookies taste amazing,” Yoohyeon says as she leans back in her chair, gratefully patting her full stomach. 

“Just be thankful you get this stage of her cooking,” Moonbyul says, leaning an elbow on the table to lean her way, “I had to go through months of terrible recipes before we got anywhere close to this.” 

Solar must kick her under the table because Moonbyul jumps but she also doesn’t try to deny so it must have some truth to it. 

“Well, I thought that tasted amazing so your hardship wasn’t for nothing,” Yoohyeon says, surprising herself when she is able to match Moonbyul’s teasing tone. The other two giggle. It may be the wine and how warm she is but she feels at peace here. 

“I’m-” she starts, allowing the tipsy feeling give her some courage, “I’m really grateful that you two are my neighbors.” 

“Ooh, is she confessing?” Solar squeals excitedly followed by her endearing laugh. 

“Shh,” Moonbyul hushes, suddenly closing her eyes and touching her fingers to her temple, “I want to memorize this moment.” 

“Stop it!” Yoohyeon protests, leaning over to hit Moonbyul in her extreme embarrassment. They share a laugh at her expense but Solar’s face gets soft. 

“We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect neighbor,” she says earnestly. 

Moonbyul of course lets her greasiness show, “Who knew such a beautiful woman would also be a great friend?” 

Yoohyeon flushes what seems like all the way down to her toes. She looks at her hands in her lap and decides to continue. The two make her feel like she is allowed to be honest with them, even if the truth hurts a bit. 

“When I first moved here, I had a hard time. I really owe it to you guys for helping me feel,” Yoohyeon searches for a word before she settles on, “At home.” 

They are quiet in response. Worried, Yoohyeon sneaks a glance up at them and sees that they are watching her intensely with kind eyes. It’s almost like they are waiting for if she will say anything else and so she continues. 

“I wanted to move out to be my own person, but it’s been hard, it’s not all I thought it would be,” she confesses. The silence hangs between them before Solar gently speaks up. 

“Why did you want to move out of your parents house?” she asks in a soft, high tone. 

“I just wanted to be an adult, I wanted to figure out what it was like to run my own house,” Yoohyeon struggles to try and put into words was she was really trying to say. She trails off, unsure. 

“Anything in particular that made you want to strike out on your own?” Solar presses gently. 

“A girl, perhaps?” Moonbyul teases gently and its as if she is trying to signal that its okay by calling her out. 

“Perhaps,” Yoohyeon admits shly, her cheeks flushing. 

“It’s always for a girl,” Moonbyul says understandingly. It makes Yoohyeon a blush a bit hotter. 

“I mean, learning to live out on my own is good and I’m closer to the city and my job and there are so many positive things to living on your own,” she says, almost defensively. 

“But it’s also helpful to be able to bring over someone you like without your parents hanging around,” Solar teases. 

“And that,” Yoohyeon admits, her blush deepening until her cheeks feel like they are on fire. 

\----

When Moonbyul closes the door after bidding Yoohyeon goodnight, she gets a rush of happiness that swells in his her chest. It’s taken time and persistence but Yoohyeon was finally opening up to them and the energy from next door was feeling a bit brighter and purer every time they are able to meet up with Yoohyeon and reassure her that she is valid and loved. 

Walking back to the dining room, Moonbyul is surprised when the table has been cleared and Solar gone. Stepping into the kitchen, Solar is standing over the sink as she fills it with water. She’s got that lost look in her eye. Paired with the soft blush that she gets when she’s been drinking, Solar looks good enough to eat. But Solar seems to be so far away that she doesn’t notice when the bin starts to overflow. 

Familiar with her spacey girlfriend, Moonbyul reaches around her and turns the tap off. Solar doesn’t react until she takes the opportunity to wrap her arms around her waist, tucking her hands in underneath her shirt to press against the skin that is warmer than usual due to their alcohol intake. 

When Moonbyul makes contact with her skin, Solar breathes in deep as if she had been reminded to breathe by the touch. She melts under Moonbyul’s hand and slumps so that most of her weight is leaning back on her. 

“What are you thinking about?” Moonbyul asks, fingers tingling as she can feel their magics meet. 

“Love,” she says with a silly smile, leaning back so Moonbyuk has access to brush a kiss across the side of her neck. 

“We are going to help her,” Moonbyul says and it’s not a question. She knew the moment Yoohyeon’s big crush was revealed that this would be what they do. Solar hums and tilts her head just a bit so that Moonbyul has no choice but to return her attention to her neck. Her lips vibrate slightly as Solar speaks. 

“I think she’s gathered enough positive energy now for some action to happen. And she’s clearly thinking about some specifically,” she says idly, her brain busy spinning what types of spells and rituals she could get them into. True love wasn’t hard to egg along if it’s true. They know that from experience. This feels like love even from the vague answers Yoohyeon provides. 

“Chai,” Solar suddenly says and Moonbyul nods in response. 

They don’t have to talk about it, in full silent agreement, as Moonbyul tugs her waist to pull her back into their bedroom. 

\-----

Next time Yoohyeon is invited over, she reminds herself to not have any alcohol this time. It wouldn’t do to let anything slip out any more than she already has. Moonbyul and Solar are a well-adjusted couple who are so kind to be her friend in addition to be her neighbor so she doesn’t have the right to tell them all her girl woes. She needs to get it together and act like an adult. Those two don’t want to hear about a young girl whining about her unrequited love. 

The women had given her the passcode to their front door and Yoohyeon’s chest warms at the trust they clearly have in her now as she lets herself into their flat. 

The moment the door is opened, a strong spicy scent hits her. She can’t help but to inhale deeply at the scent, it warming her in all of the best ways, right down to her toes. 

“Wow,” she says, taking another deep breath. 

“Planning on coming in?” Moonbyul teases and Yoohyeon realizes with a jolt that’s she just standing with the door open, handle still in her hand. Blushing, she ducks her head and removes her shoes, pausing when she sees an extra pair of slippers laid out. She glances up to Moonbyul who is watching her amusedly. 

“You are over enough that we figured you deserved your own pair.” She says. 

The slippers are white and fuzzy and Yoohyeon is beyond touched when she steps into them. When she looks up again, Moonbyul is gone so she follows her nose to find the source of the amazingly spicy scent. 

“Hi!” Solar greets brightly, stirring whatever she’s got on the stove one more time before setting down her ladle and coming over to brush a friendly kiss on her cheek. Yoohyeon barely has a moment to blush before Solar is asking, “What do you think of your new slippers? Comfy?” 

“Yes,” she says shyly, dropping her eyes to the floor which only serves to remind her of the kind gift they have given her, 

“Thank you,” she says softly but Solar is already bustling back to the kitchen to check on whatever she’s got bubbling in the pot. Curiously, she peeps into the pot and sees a milky brown liquid and it is certainly the source of the spicy scent that fills the entire apartment. 

“Chai,” Solar explains with a wink. Yoohyeon is surprised. 

“It smells amazing,” she says. 

“It’s because it’s homemade,” Solar says alongside Moonbyul who clearly knew what she was going to say and mimicked alongside her in a high-pitched tone. She gets a wack for the mimicry with the clean end of the ladle. 

“Well, I’m looking forward to trying it,” Yoohyeon laughs at them as she takes a seat at the dining room table. 

“I hope it’s good,” Solar says. 

“You haven’t let me down yet and I don’t think it’s going to be different today,” Yoohyeon replies firmly. Solar takes a moment to look up from her tea to smile happily her way. She ducks down to hide her blush. 

And it is. It’s warm and hearty and works to burn away any of the lingering cold from the cold winter commute home. 

“Is that lavender?” Yoohyeon asks, taking another sip. 

“Yes,” Solar says, looking a bit surprised. Moonbyul winks at her. 

She is done with her first cup before she is even really cognizant of it. 

“May I have another?” She asks, practically salivating for more. Moonbyul gives her a warm smile and picks up her glass to get her a refill. She’s noticed Moonbyul isn’t drinking any of her own, but files it away to ask at a different time. She didn’t want to be rude after all. Maybe she didn’t like chai and that’s certainly not something she wants to drag up now, not when she’s all warm and fuzzy. 

Halfway through her second glass, she realizes that she feels a bit strange. It’s like she’s had alcohol but without the sharp taste of liquor. 

“Are these spiked?” She asks suddenly, only half aware that she thinks she interrupted something else they had been talking about but she can’t remember for the life of her what they were talking about. 

“Not with alcohol, no,” Moonbyul says and Solar smacks her on the arm. She doesn’t have much time to dwell on that answer, her thoughts already softly spinning onto the next idea. 

Dami suddenly comes to mind and she blushes hotly. Between her blush and the warmth of the drink, Yoohyeon feels incredibly overheated. She tugs on the collar of her mock-neck shirt and tries hard not to sweat. 

“What are you thinking about?” Solar asks gently. 

“Nothing,” Yoohyeon quickly follows. 

“Great,” Moonbyul says brightly, “I’ve been meaning to ask you about high school.” 

“High school?” Yoohyeon wonders in puzzlement, “Why would you want to know about that?” 

“Just do,” Moonbyul shrugs as Solar rolls her eyes. 

“Moonbyul didn’t get to go to a normal high school and so she always grills all our friends about their experience.” She explains. 

“I just get curious if real life is like the dramas,” Moonbyul adds with a smile. 

“My high school experience was nothing like a drama,” Yoohyeon admits easily. 

“Oh? No after-school activities? Best friends?” Moonbyul pauses and a fox-like smile spreads across her lips, “First loves.” 

A freshly cut bop flashes suddenly in front of her eyes paired with a familiar laugh. It’s a memory but it feels so real that Yoohyeon has to shake her head to ground herself in the present. 

“Something like that,” Yoohyeon admits, the next memory bubbling up behind the next. 

_What do you think?_ She’s too lost in the way her eyes glitter and the way her smile lights up the room to comment on her hair. 

_”Beautiful,”_ past-self her says, before that memory is gone as well. 

“Dami,” she says softly before she can realize she is mouthing the words. 

“Who?” Solar asks politely but Yoohyeon can’t shake the knowing gazes that she is getting from the couple. 

“Dami,” she says with a hot flush, “My first love.” 

“Dami is a cute name,” Moonbyul says, standing to take her empty cup from her hands. When had see finished that? 

“It’s one she gave herself after she came out to her parents,” Yoohyeon says, a familiar warmth of pride as she brags on her friend. 

“Did anything ever come of it?” Solar ask. 

Yoohyeon shakes her head in a negative and both of the women make sympathetic noises, Moonbyul dropping a full teacup in front of her. She busies herself by reaching out and cupping it between her hands, taking a sip as all of the memories flood back. She hasn’t spoken to anyone about this but if she couldn’t trust these two then who could she trust? 

“We fell out when we both went to different colleges but she unexpectedly reached out to me a few months ago.” Yoohyeon says, heart pounding with the vulnerability she’s not used to speaking with. 

“That must feel nice,” Moonbyul says, tone as warm as butter. She’s not sure she’s every thought of someone’s voice like that but she feels a bit dizzy but also more in-tune with what is going on around her. It’s an odd combination. 

“It did,” Yoohyeon says, smiling down at her cup, “Yeah.” 

“Have you guys hung out since you’ve spoken?” Solar asks. 

“Coffee, once” Yoohyeon blushes, the visceral image of Dami, elegant shoulders, firm jaw, looking so much more adult and yet with the same short hair cut. She made Yoohyeon lose her breath. Even after all this time. 

“Mm, you should totally ask her over and make her dinner or something,” Moonbyul encourages. 

“Netflix and chill,” Solar says cutely with a little pose to go with it. 

Yoohyeon shakes her head immediately dreading the thought. The warmth that had been coursing through her feels like it’s sucked away forcibly leaving her shivering. 

“No way, have you seen my flat?” Yoohyeon says with horror, “It’s hard enough having you two over without feeling embarrassed.” 

“And you don’t want to be embarrassed in front of your first love, huh?” Moonbyul says with a smile. Yoohyeon flushes. 

“It was a long time ago.” She digs up, she’d be silly to hold onto those feelings even if the sight of Dami when they went for coffee made her heart race. 

“True love is always a bit different,” Solar says softly, Yoohyeon turns to her, confusion all over her face. She’s ready to ask for clarity when she gets a hand waved and the topic changes. 

“If you don’t want her to come to your flat, invite her to ours.” Moonbyul suggests. 

“But then it’ll look like-” Yoohyeon burns hot. 

“Like what?” Moonbyul pushes. 

“A double date,” she finishes, flustered. 

“Wouldn’t it be though?” Solar teases her. 

“No, no no,” Yoohyeon vetemately disagrees, “I don’t want her to feel pressured.” 

Then, she gets two pairs of similar looks and she conveniently finds something else to look at. She doesn’t want to see the pity there. 

“I have an idea,” Solar perks up instantly, drawing Yoohyeon’s eyes back to her. She turns to Moonbyul and they seem to share a weird telepathy moment, something that Yoohyeon is far too used to now with how much it happens, and Moonbyul is nodding along in agreement. 

“The winter solstice is coming up,” Solar turns to her, her eyes practically glowing with excitement, “And we happen to be throwing a party.” 

“We were already planning on inviting you,” Moonbyul picks up with an eerie ease of knowing exactly when Solar will end her sentence. “And were going to ask if you wanted to ask a plus one.” 

“But you can invite Dami!” Solar finishes up, picking up where Moonbyul left off with just as much ease. 

“I won’t be weird because it’ll be a big house party so no feeling like you are on a date with expectations,” Moonbyul starts. 

“And it’ll be intimate enough that it doesn’t seem impersonal,” Solar continues. 

“Without having to invite her over to your flat,” Moonbyul finishes. They both glance each other, threading their fingers together and turning back to Yoohyeon with similar expressions. 

“What do you think?” They ask simultaneously 

“That was weird,” Yoohyeon says actually a bit weirded out by their chemistry for the first time since she’s met them. But, it’s a solid idea however oddly presented to her. 

“Fine,” she says with a deep sigh. She also can’t fight her smile when the couple happily high-fives each other. 

“I didn’t even know the winter solstice was something people threw parties for,” she can’t help but to tease. Moonbyul smirks and there’s a secret glint in her eyes. 

“We aren’t most people,” she counters. Yoohyeon can’t disagree. 

\-----

“The love is there but the confidence isn’t.” Moonbyul remarks as she gathers their cups after Yoohyeon leaves, cleaning up after their tea party. 

“You don’t want a cup?” Solar whines. She is unable to refuse anything Solar wants when she adopts that pout but not today. 

“You know how the magic in your chai mucks mine up. I’d rather not have to go through a purity cleansing before the solstice.” she says, leaning over to brush a kiss in apology, also conceding when they part and Solar gives her the far-too-convincing puppy dog eyes, “Next time, I promise.” 

Solar hums happily and cups the back of her neck to bring her in for one more kiss. 

“The love is real though,” Solar comments, tracing symbols on the wood of their dining room table, Moonbyul continuing to put their dishes into the sink, to be cleaned at another time. Not when Solar is still feeling woozy from the love magic. 

“It practically glowed, that first memory,” Moonbyul agrees and Solar turns to smile softly at her. 

“I could see it even through the pink we throw off,” Solar says, “I guess even our love is real.” 

Moonbyul rolls her eyes, “It better be.” 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Solar squeaks, already up in arms like Moonbyul hope she would do. With a grin she ducks down and grabs Solar’s legs, she gives her just a moment to bow forward before she has slung her girlfriend over her shoulder. Predictably, she squeals but it’s a pleased noise. Solar likes feeling small sometimes. 

“I’ll show you our true love,” Moonbyul says with a catlike grin, carrying them both into their bedroom and tossing her on the bed. 

\-----

Yoohyeon hasn’t been this worried about her outfit since her first day of work. It’s the same type of panicked fluster and a mess of her closet with clothes strewn everywhere that she’s not sure if she can remember which outfits she liked best. She’s halfway to a panicked phone call to her best friend, Minji, when she spots the time on her phone instead. With a shriek, she realizes that she’s only got twenty minutes until Dami is supposed to come over. 

She had tried insistanting that Dami meet her at Solar and Moonbyul’s home but the other woman would have none of it. 

“Please don’t make me meet new people without a bit of liquid courage,” she pleads over the phone. Yoohyeon bites her lip and eyes go to the ceiling, searching for a solution out of this situation. But also, she’s going to do whatever Dami wants, especially when she asks with a soft ‘please’. 

“We could go out to a bar first?” Yoohyeon tries, unable to try one last time for Dami to not see her wreck of an apartment. 

“If the party is right next to your flat, then let’s just be cost effective,” Dami says and it makes so much sense that Yoohyeon is left without an argument. At least a sound one. 

“What?” Dami asks, her voice coloring as she teases, “Are you hiding some skeletons in your closet you don’t want me to see.” 

“The whole flat is filled with them and I didn’t want anyone to see my obsession,” Yoohyeon bats back dryly, overly pleased when Dami’s low laugh carries over the phone. 

“Text me your address, I’ll see you in a few.” Dami says and they hang up. 

Yoohyeon takes a moment to flop back onto the pile of pillows by her coffee table and groan. She was not prepared for Dami to be in her space. With a jolt, Yoohyeon stiffens and checks her phone. 

“Fuck!” She says before she quickly gets to her feet. 

Yoohyeon spends the next two hours cleaning her entire apartment from floor to ceiling. She has a moment to breathe before she realizes that she still hasn’t decided on what to wear. 

She pulls on some thigh high tight things and a black skirt and shirt in a hurry, remembering the new skirt that she bought but hasn’t found the courage to wear out yet. It seems like someone who goes to a winter solstice party would wear but she wouldn’t know. 

She’s worrying about the length of the skirt (it’s awful short) when the doorbell rings. Jumping, she runs to the door, thoughts of her outfit gone in a flash as she worries about the state her apartment is in even after she’s spent hours cleaning it. She briefly considers turning all the lights out and pretending she isn’t here but it’s far too late for those type of regrets. 

Her hand is on the knob and she takes a last moment to take a breath to prepare before she opens the door. 

Yoohyeon is not prepared for Dami last breath or no. She’s wearing black jeans, a white button down, and a leather jacket. She looks bad in a way that Yoohyeon has never seen, not between their daytime coffee and high school uniforms. Her breath leaves her in a whoosh and the tips of her fingers tingle but she’s not sure if it’s from lack of oxygen or the way Dami has left her awestruck. 

“Hi,” Dami says, eyes glitter, mouth soft with a smile. Her hair is swept from her face and Yoohyeon clenches her hands, wanting nothing more than to run her hands through it and mess it all up. 

“Hi,” she replies breathlessly, frantically trying to pull herself together. 

“You going to let me in?” Dami asks with a chuckle and Yoohyeon blushes hotly. 

“Sorry, yes, but-” Yoohyeon pauses before she opens the door the rest of the way, “Promise me you won’t laugh at how it looks.” 

Dami gives her a look, it’s even and steady. Yoohyeon is studying her face watching as a smile blooms there. 

“I’d never laugh at you,” Dami promises. Yoohyeon’s heart skips a beat and she can’t help but to think that it must be true. 

True to her word, Dami doesn’t laugh when Yoohyeon leads her in, instead she spots to fawn over a picture she’s hung of her and her family along with the pet dog. Then she’s admiring the kitchen and then flinging herself onto the pillows around the coffee table. 

“It’s so homey,” Dami says with a laugh, looking over at her with a happy expression that lights up her entire face. Yoohyeon’s heart melts and she closes her eyes, just for a moment, to sear the image into the back of her eyelids. 

“Thank you,” she says softly, trying to keep how much that compliment really means to her out of her tone. Dami smiles back slowly as if she really does know but surely that can’t be right. 

“I brought wine,” Dami says, smoothly changing the subject and Yoohyeon couldn’t be more happy for it. 

“I’ll grab the glasses,” she offers. She had two set out in a display that she made when she was frantically cleaning earlier and it pays off now. Hurrying into the living room, she ducks down onto her knees and sets the glasses on the table. Before Dami can reach for it, Yoohyeon grabs the wine bottle to open it. She’s the host after all. 

Dami seems content to watch her struggle to open the wine bottle, leaning against the pillows and into the wall behind her. Yoohyeon is too busy trying to use the bottle opener without looking like an idiot that when she does look up, she has to flip her hair over her shoulder. Dami’s eyes are molten and she’s watching thoughtfully. The seriousness of her stare has Yoohyeon flushing. 

“You are beautiful,” she says in a straightforward way that Yoohyeon always found handsome. Not that she looks beautiful or today her outfit is beautiful. 

Blushing red hot, Yoohyeon’s eyes drop down to where the cork is only half out of the bottle no matter how much she wiggles it. 

“Thanks,” she mutters, trying to focus back on the task at hand and failing miserably. 

“Oh, it wasn’t a compliment,” Dami says and Yoohyeon looks back up in confusion. The other woman continues with a smirk, her red lipstick suiting it perfectly, “Facts are facts.” 

Yoohyeon blushes hotter. She hadn’t known that was possible. 

This wine bottle needs to be open now. She needs this alcohol desperately. 

Dami reaches over and opens it smoothly. She tries not to think about how hot that is as she also pours them both a glass. 

\-----

They keep the apartment door unlocked when they host the party. It’s easier to do that then listen to the door chime every few minutes or so. Moonbyul had put up layers of protective magic herself and, really, no one was going to mess with a coven gathering on the winter solstice. No one was that stupid. 

So she doesn’t notice when exactly Yoohyeon slips into the party but the equally stunning woman on her arm eventually draws her attention. Along with everyone else in the room. It really wasn’t fair for two women to look so good and somehow even better together. No wonder Yoohyeon was smitten with her first love. 

Solar is in the middle of a deep conversation with a golden Sowon, her hair flowing around her face with a naturalness that most would kill for. Eunha beside her seems to already be drunk, flushed pink and leaning heavily into the taller woman’s side. 

To get Solar’s attention, Moonbyul pulses a bit of energy her way. Predictably, she turns to catch her eye with an annoyed expression. Moonbyul rolls her eyes but nods her head in the direction of Yoohyeon and Dami. As much as she is annoyed to be interrupted, she would be more annoyed to miss their entrance to the party. Sure enough, Solar’s face brightens and she gets that overly-excited gleam in her eyes before eagerly waving Moonbyul in their direction. Looking to the sky for patience, she begins to execute their poorly plan of action. 

Excusing herself from conversation with Elly and Lucy, she picks her way through the crowd to the drink table. While she is there, she takes a moment to add a few more songs to their queue before she grabs the two drinks set aside especially for their guests of honor. She takes a moment sprinkle the special ingredient in them before sliding her way to the other side of the room. 

“Well, hello, hello there!” She greets brightly, pushing the drinks into their hands, “Happy Solstice and thanks for coming!” 

Moonbyul wasn’t able to see it until she got up close, but the two are clearly flushed and Dami is even swaying into Yoohyeon’s shoulder every so often. She has to bite on her lip to stop her grin. The aura around them both is pleasant and warm and mingling together just around the edges. It’s enough proof that Moonbyul purposefully leans Dami’s way so that she has to press back into Yoohyeon some more. Yoohyeon flushes hotter as Moonbyul keeps her eyes on Dami. 

“Hi, I’m Moonbyul,” she introduces herself as if she doesn’t know Dami and all the half-stories they’ve gleamed from Yoohyeon. 

“Ah! You are Yoohyeon’s neighbor.” Dami says and Moonbyul instantly gives her points for remembering, it’s clear she must listen to what Yoohyeon says, “I’m Dami, thank you for inviting us into your home.” 

“The pleasure is ours!” Moonbyul says, her grin getting wider as she notices the use of ‘us’, “And you’ll have to let us know how those drinks taste.” 

The slight suggestion does the trick, the two of them holding their cups to their lips. Moonbyul seals the deal by leaning over to gently touch both of their arms, sending a pulse of warm energy at the skin contact. 

“I’ve got to make my hostess rounds, but I’ll be back,” she promises and leaves them to it. 

Moonbyul takes her time getting back to them, she was watching how their energies were mingling together from a distance, checking in on them from time to time in the middle of conversations with the other women at the party. She’s watching the way Dami has slipped a hand around Yoohyeon’s waist as she laughs into her shoulder when Solar slides into her own space. 

“Things seem to be going well,” she says, sounding pleased, as she fits herself so she can lay on her back and poke her chin over Moonbyul’s shoulder. Taking advantage of the situation, Moonbyul reaches back to pull her more flush against her back. 

“Really well,” she says also unable to keep the pleasure from her tone, “And they seem to be quite drunk.” 

All the times they’ve seen Yoohyeon tipsy, it’s not been quite like this. There’s something more visceral about her responses, her wide smiles and the way she looks into Dami’s eyes. They haven’t even realized it but they are putting on such an atmosphere that they’ve unintentionally isolated themselves from the rest of the partygoers. So caught up in their own conversation, the way they are trading soft touches more and more- it’s an aura that no one seems to be willing to break. 

“Ready for the next step in the plan?” Solar says and Moonbyul nods in agreement. But neither of them move, they watch as Yoohyeon reaches over to softly cup Dami’s cheek and give her the brightest, most pure smile they have ever seen from her. 

“She’s happy,” Solar says softly. 

“They both are,” Moonbyul points out as Dami seems to nuzzle further into Yoohyeon’s hand. 

\----

Yoohyeon is so caught up in Dami- her smell, her conversation, her strong shoulders, her presence, that she barely notices when Moonbyul approaches them again. 

“Hey, having fun?” she asks, Yoohyeon prays that only she can hear the teasing tone to it. For some reason that seems to snap Yoohyeon out of whatever headspace she was in and she realizes that other than a few other women, most have left and the apartment is thinning out. 

“So much fun! These drinks are amazing,” Dami says enthusiastically, in her excitement, she sways on her feet and then decides midway to redirect so she can lean her weight back on Yoohyeon. 

Moonbyul chuckles and reaches over to brush some of her bangs behind her eyes and Yoohyeon’s heart squeezes at her friends interaction, how protective it seems. 

“Would you like to stay here tonight?” She offers and Yoohyeon takes a moment to process that. Why- 

“Nah,” Dami says easily. 

“Or maybe I should ask do you need to a place to crash?” Moonbyul rephrases and oh, maybe Dami is drunker than Yoohyeon thinks she is if her neighbor doesn’t think her capable of getting home on her own. How long it takes her to put that thought together also makes her think that maybe she’s a bit drunker than she thought too. They did have an entire bottle of wine before coming here after all. 

“No, I’ll just stay with Yoohyeon,” Dami says and Yoohyeon harshly sucks in a breath. Her house? After her mad scramble to get changed, clothes might be everywhere and what about her bathroom! She had scrubbed it as best she could but her flat was in such shabby condition- 

She’s distracted when Dami’s hand laces with her own. Her breath is caught in her chest as Dami smiles at her soft, cheeks flushed, and her hand is pleasantly warm. 

“Actually, I’m getting tired, would you mind if we went back now?” Dami asks, blinking slowly at her. 

“Yes,” she says, unable to refuse Dami anything. The other woman smiles before turning to Moonbyul. Yoohyeon knows her neighbor well enough to know the obviously pleased smile at the interaction. It’s like the cat who got the cream. 

“Drink some water when you go over,” she says before bidding them goodnight. 

Yoohyeon is barely aware of anything other than when Dami reaches down and slips their hands together. Before she’s even fully able to wrap her head around the fact that Dami’s hand fits so perfectly in her own, they are back in her flat and Dami is asking for some clothes to change into. 

It’s so weird how Dami acts so naturally about changing into Yoohyeon’s baggy clothes, and starts to get ready for bed. Despite it being the first time, they move around each other in a weirdly comfortable dance as if they’ve done it a thousand times before. Dami washes her face at the sink first as Yoohyeon slips into her own pajamas, before they both brushing their teeth, as Yoohyeon grabs them both water Dami starts to brush her hair 

Every moment is a something domestic, a habit that Yoohyeon has repeated a thousand times before, but with Dami by her side each step feels like a whole new experiences, an electricity of something new and exciting and strangely comfortable. Her heart beating in her chest, Yoohyeon tries desperately to not to read to much into the night. But at the same time, how else is she supposed to interpret the way Dami leaned into her, held her hand, asked to stay the night? 

Now, Dami is impossible soft. Her face is makeup free, her hair is falling in gentle waves on either side of her face, her eyes shimmer but she blinks slowly like she’s more than ready for sleep. She’s sitting on Yoohyeon’s bed and with a sudden crash of reality, Yoohyeon realizes that Dami is intending on sleeping in the same bed. In her bed. 

Fuck. 

With hands that have gone numb, she gives Dami her glass of water and she accepts it with a grateful smile. 

“What side of the bed do you want?” Dami asks and Yoohyeon swears she’s going to have a heart attack. 

“Left,” she breathes, somehow through the panic and pure joy. 

“Come here then,” Dami says placing her water on the bedside table and scooting over, she lays on her side and reaches for Yoohyeon. She really is unable to resist the magnetic pull Yoohyeon has to Dami’s arms, even if she wanted to. And she does not. 

Dami pulls her underneath her duvet and pulls her close, her arms wrapping loosely around her waist and the space between them warms pleasantly as their body heats mingle. 

Considering Dami’s hands are playing with the hem of her shirt, occasionally grazing her skin that send jolts of electricity up her spine, Yoohyeon gives into her urge and runs a hand through the hair that is falling gently around Dami’s face. It’s as soft as it looks and Dami’s eyes flutter shut. Her hand migrates from tucking her hair behind her hair to cupping Dami’s cheek when her eyes open again, glittering at her under full eyelashes even with her makeup wiped off. Yoohyeon sucks in a breath at how beautiful she is. 

“I like you,” Dami says firmly, her eyes certain. 

“I like you too,” Yoohyeon says even though her chest burst with colors of deeper emotions. 

“I know,” Dami says with a small smirk but it doesn’t stop her from leaning forward and giving her a kiss that steals what little breath Yoohyeon had left. 

They spend the rest of the night swapping stories about when they were in high school and were apparently pining for each other the whole time. They move closer together, swapping kisses between confessions, knocking knees together as they try to get even closer despite it being physically impossible. Every story they swap, it’s like a competition to share the most embarrassing story about crushing hard on each other obliviously. 

“I don’t think you understand,” Yoohyeon admits, cheeks flushing from the warmth under the covers but also from their close proximity as Dami brushes the softest kiss against her collarbone but mainly from the embarrassment of this next confession, “I wanted to go to your university just so I keep loving you from afar.” 

“Loving?” Dami asks. Even in the dark of the room, Yoohyeon is able to see the way her eyes turn into molten gold. She’d be even more embarrassed at the slip but she’s far too distracted by her eyes. 

“Yeah,” she confesses breathlessly. 

The kiss Dami gives her next is red hot and she doesn’t much mind when Dami gets a bit pushy and rolls her onto her back. She likes the angle, Dami supporting herself with her elbows as Yoohyeon has to tilt her chin up to keep their lips locked. Her hands wrap around Dami’s small waist and pull her closer until they are flushed together. Dami’s shirt has ridden up a bit and Yoohyeon selfishly enjoys the warmth of her bare skin. 

“I should’ve asked you this when we were sixteen,” Dami breaks their kiss to pant against her lips, “Will you be my girlfriend?” 

“Yes,” Yoohyeon says, her chest bursting with happiness as she leans up to demand another kiss. Dami obliges. 

Yoohyeon is positive that she will not be able to sleep that night. Not with the excitement and being accustomed to having someone in her bed. But they do and when she wakes up the next morning, they are wrapped up together, Dami’s chest pressing into her back and their limbs tangled together, even their hands are joined and laying gently on Yoohyeon’s stomach. Happiness warms her and she hasn’t slept that well since she moved into her flat. 

Being a morning person, Yoohyeon slips from Dami’s arms and giggles when she groans and mumbles in protest before turning over and hiding her head underneath her pillow. She leaves her to sleep a bit longer as she goes into the kitchen and starts the kettle. She can’t keep the stupid grin off of her face before she decides to go back into the bedroom. 

She crawls on the bed, overtop the covers, and pokes Dami until she turns onto her back and blinks sleepily up at her. Then Yoohyeon leans down to kiss her. 

“What’s that for?” Dami asks lowly, clearly still half-asleep. 

“I just wanted to kiss my girlfriend good morning,” she says, burrowing away the potential cringe to focus on how happy she is. Especially when Dami’s entire face brightens and basically glows. 

“In that case,” Dami says, sounding a bit more awake as she wraps her arms around Yoohyeon’s waist and rolls them around to kiss at her neck as Yoohyeon squeals and they both giggle. 

\-----

Dami leaves her flat a few hours later with a parting kiss and a promise to take her on a proper date later that week. Yoohyeon is brimming with so many emotions that she waits until she is sure Dami is in the elevator before slipping on some shoes and letting herself into Moonbyul and Solar’s flat. 

The couple have always expressed that she can help herself into their flat whenever she wanted and has become comfortable with doing that occasionally but lunchtime after a big party, Yoohyeon is surprised when the whole place is completely clean. The two are also nowhere in sight. 

A white cat, however, is. 

Yoohyeon freezes as the cat sits on four paws and curls its tail around its paws and stares at her with side purple eyes from the window sill in the living room. 

“Did I hear someone come in?” Solar asks from the other room, poking her head around the wall when she sees Yoohyeon, “Oh, hello there!” 

“I didn’t know you had a cat?” She asks confusedly, “Have you had one this whole time?” 

“Oh yes,” Solar says with a wide smile and a chuckle, they both feel forced, “Our lady is just a bit shy is all.” 

Shy, but the cat leaps off of the sill with grace and comes to rub at Yoohyeon’s shins. Squatting down, Yoohyeon scratches behind the cats ears and under her chin when she is presented with it. The cat purrs loudly. 

“She seems to like me,” Yoohyeon says brightly as the cat flops on her back to present her belly. 

“Amazing, since she is supposed to be a _shy_ cat,” Solar says and Yoohyeon has to look up when she feels a bit of purposeful tension in her tone. But the woman smiles when she meets her eyes. 

“Tea?” She offers and Yoohyeon remembers why she rushed over here in the first place. 

“Please, I’ve got so much to tell you.” Yoohyeon says, eagerly following her into the kitchen. The cat follows her closely behind. 

\---

Solar closes the door after saying goodbye to Yoohyeon a few hours later after they went over the entire night in detail. She turns and stares at the cat, raising an eyebrow at her. 

“That was close,” she says with a slightly accusatory tone as the cat seems to stretch and transfers into human form right before her eyes, the change as familiar to her as her magical familiar’s form is. Moonbyul stretches her arms over her head. 

“Ah, it’ll be okay.” She reassures in that good natured carefree way that Solar usually loves her for but is slightly getting on her nerves currently. 

“Are you going to be responsible for explaining to our extremely cute neighbor that we are magical and you like to have naps as a cat then?” Solar asks. 

“Oh, pleased, she’ll be so caught up in her new girlfriend, I’m sure she won’t even think of it again.” Moonbyul says, smiling with her cat canines showing in that charming way that she knows Solar is weak for. Sure enough, she can feel her annoyance fading away. 

“They got together,” she says with a soft smile. 

“You did good,” Moonbyul compliments as she drapes her hands around Solar’s waist, pulling her in to nose at the crook of her neck. 

“We did good,” she corrects. When Moonbyul leans back to smile at her, she seals the compliment with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> merry christmas **i** happy holidays, thank you for being a bright light in my 2019


End file.
